Improvement in fire-kindlers



UNITED `STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDGAR J.- NOR-RIS, OF BALTH'IORE, MARYLAND.

IMPROVEMENT IN FIRE-KINDLERS.

I pecit`icaton forming part of Letters latcnt No. 209,069, dated October15, 1878; applicatiolrfiled October 19752.

l'o all fwhom it Imay concern Beit known that I, EDGAR J'. Jonnrs, ofBaltimore city, State of Maryland, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Fire-Lighters; and I hereby declare the same to befully, clearly, and exactly described as follows, reference being had tothe accompanyin g drawings, in which- Figure l is a plan vieur of thedevice, and Fig. 2 a vertical sectional View of the same.

My invention relates to that class of devices in use for setting upcombustion in stoves and gratos; and it consists in akindler having -theform shbwn in the accompanying drawings, and also in the composition of'ma-tter of which it consists.

The materials used in the manufacture of my kindler, are tivo-to wit,the residue from the distillation of coal-oil, and a peculiar variety ofrcsinons Wood.

In the eastern part of the State of North Carolina, notably in Martincounty, a phenomenal behavior is noticed on the part of the pine trees.Upon reaching a certain size the trees die and their trunks and branchesassume 'a bleached appearance, the Wood` undergoing at thc same time achange which may be described as, physically, a semi-petrifaction, and,chemically, an incipient conversion into a material resembling lignite,highly impregnated with resin. The Wood is no longer capable ot' bein gsplit or cut into chips, but crumbles under the pressure of a cuttingimplement in a manner suggestive of the behavior of chalk under the samecircumstances. This physical characteristic admit-s of aready4comminution of the wood, while the enormous amount of resin itconta-ins renders it an excellent material for the purpose to which Idevote it.

In manufacturing the lkindler I grind or votherwise comminute this woodto about the size of tine sawdust or coarse gunpowder, and min glc it,at a temperature of about2l20 Fahrenheit, with the residuul'n from thedistillation of coal-oil, the materials being used in about theproportion of eight of wood to one of residuum. The mass, which at thistemperature has a pasty consistency is then pressed into molds,previously dustedivith liuc cedar sawdust, and allowed to cool andharden.

Thenmlds are of a formto give to the hindlers the shape shown in theaccompanyin drawings-namely, that of a disk, A, havin g a centralaperture, a., and a rounded edge. The diameter of the central aperture,the thickness of the disk, and its diameter are to each other'about asone to two to six.

In using the device it is laid upon the gratebars so that the passage ofair through the central aperature is practically unobstructed, and tivoor three pieces of kindling-wood are placed thereupon. Coal is thensupplied, and, the kindler being ignited, the fire is started.

Theheat of the burning wood-i. e., theresinous pine of thekindler-volatilizes the coal' oil residuum, causing the evolution of ahighly carbonaccous gas, which is at the same time ignited. f

The peculiar form of the kindler produces zones ot' unignited, ofpartially ignited, and of fully ignited, gas, exactly after the mannerof an Argand burner, Oxygen being supplied both from within and without,the curved edges of the disk affording a draft directly into the ilameand depressing the line of complete ignition. vThe heat is intense, anda speedy and complete ignition of the Wood and coal results. y

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

l. A iire-kindler having the form of a disk with a central aperture androunded edge, substantially as described.

2. A ire-kindler consistingof a resino-carbonaceous base and ahydrocarbon, volatile at the temperature of ignition of the former, thelsaid kindler having the form of a disk with a central aperture, as setforth.

3. A tire-kindler consisting of the comminnted pine described and theresidnum of the distillation ot' coal-oil, substantially as' set forth.

4. The re-kindler herein described, consisting ot' comminuted pine Wood,as set forth, and the residuum of the distillation of coaloil, the saidkindler having the form of a disk with a central aperture and roundededge, substantially as and for the purpose described.

fitness my hand thislth day of October,

. EDGAR J NORRIS. Witnesses:

' R. D. WILLIAMS,

NELSON N. HOLLAND.

